Tryouts have just been announced for Queen of the Doo Dah, the whimsical response to the Rose Parade. Off-Ramp host John Rabe talks with past Doo Dah Queen Michelle Mills (Naughty Mickie) about what it takes to be Queen. Come inside for more details about the May 1st parade, the tryouts, and the campaign to draft Queena Kim.

Jaron Lanier's book "You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto" is all the buzz on the web this week. Lanier takes on what's become conventional wisdom about Web 2.0. You know that Facebook, My Space and YouTube, Blogspot... are celebrating the individual. We don't need a TV deal, we have YouTube. Facebook tells you who I am! And when individuals submit everything they know? The collective knowledge is perfect knowledge. CyberFrequencies been guilty of promoting this point of view but Lanier spins out a dystopic future. Web 2.0 rests on the ideology that the universe is made of computations and we, the people, need to keep feeding information to Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. The final quest? Eternal life. Take a listen and sign up for the podcast at CyberFrequencies

Last summer, a riot at the California Institution for Men in Chino left more than 200 prisoners injured. Investigators say it was sparked by tensions between black and Latino street gangs. But it’s what allegedly occurred after the riot that got the attention of KPCC reporter Steven Cuevas. He found current and former inmates who say they were forced to live outdoors, 24 hours a day, in small steel enclosures. Not only that. Others have come forward alleging the prison routinely houses prisoners outdoors. Steven’s reporting has now triggered a state investigation. Come inside for the story, and for links to the full web page.

Be part of an international art conspiracy that could rock the foundations of Western Civilization. Come inside for details.

Off-Ramp host John Rabe talks with Senior News Editor Nick Roman about Pete Carroll's exit from USC, and then KPCC's Brian Watt talks with a couple of football fans (including Jason Hale, above, whose sentiments are obvious) about Carroll's successor, Lane Kiffin.

Off-Ramp host John Rabe remembers Leon Lyon, an Orange County mainstay of the arts ... and just life in general ... who more than likely touched your life. Come inside to learn about Leon's record album, which you can download here.

When Marka Hibbs died suddenly in Pasadena at the end of last month, a family friend said she and her late husband, and their wide circle of friends, created a lifestyle that “celebrated the quintessential Pasadena intersection of art and science.” Hibbs was 78. Off-Ramp correspondent Hank Rosenfeld went to her memorial.

Off-Ramp host John Rabe has a blog that's been called a "must read," and not just by him. Check it out, and please comment.

Come inside to see tons of great happy photos of people and food, including the ones who won brand new EatLA 2010 guides that will ensure deliciousness for one more year.

One of the central meeting places for Haitians in Los Angeles is a little restaurant in Echo Park called Ti Georges. People have been gathering there since the devastating earthquake and have raised thousands of dollars for the cause. KPCC’s Shirley Jahad paid a visit the morning after the news broke, then visited the fundraiser. Come inside for a link to the full stories.

MOCA, in downtown Los Angeles, one of the most prestigious contemporary art museums in the world, has appointed a new chief who is raising eyebrows in the art world because he’s a gallery owner. A couple of years ago MOCA was broke and almost had to close its doors. As KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez reports, the new director hopes to use his vast experience in the private art world to help the museum stay on its feet and grow. Come inside for a link to Adolfo's story and Airtalk's coverage.